European Lines See More Mediterranean Bookings

While many U.S.-based cruise lines yanked some of their vessels out of Europe and back to North America for the summer season, some European lines are seeing a resurgence of bookings for the Mediterranean this summer.

“After Jan. 7 we saw everything change,” said Makis Xanatas, chief executive officer of First European Cruises in New York, the U.S. marketing arm of European-owned Festival Cruises. “We started getting very busy, with bookings at the level of last year.”

Xanatas acknowledged increased bookings may be partly because of less competition in the region than usual, with many lines avoiding the eastern Mediterranean this summer. He estimates North Americans make up only 20% to 25% of the company’s passengers; most are Europeans, primarily French and Italians.

Festival’s European Vision made its Caribbean debut this winter, but bookings were disappointing because “so many lines sold cheap that we couldn’t compete,” he said. “[This summer] we’re sailing the European Vision out of Venice [Italy] to the Greek Islands, one of the very few cruise lines doing that itinerary.”

The ship will sail every Sunday from May 12 to Nov. 17, calling in Dubrovnik in Croatia, and Corfu, Santorini, Rhodes and Piraeus (the port of Athens) in Greece.

The 1,500-passenger European Vision is the second of three ships built by Festival Cruises since 1999. It debuted last June after the 1,200-passenger Mistral, which was launched in 1999.

The European Stars, also carrying 1,500 passengers, is to make its maiden voyage March 29 on a seven-day western Mediterranean itinerary from Barcelona, Spain, that will continue throughout the year.

The line would appeal to sophisticated and well-traveled Americans of all ages who are comfortable traveling with passengers who speak different languages and live different lifestyles (including, unfortunately, a tendency toward frequent smoking).

But passengers accustomed to the latest from Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean lines might be surprised to find similar contemporary features and lavish decor aboard the new Festival ships. European Vision, for instance, has a climbing wall, a 24-terminal Internet facility, a German beer garden, an English pub, a disco that sees a lot of late-night action, a production team of a dozen singers and dancers, a teen club, a children’s play center, a miniature golf course, a golf simulator, an enormous health and beauty spa operated by Steiners, a 24-hour deck buffet and an espresso cafe.

The top-category cabins, 133 mini-suites with balconies, carry extra privileges, from a separate check-in area at boarding to a dining room called the Pergola. Passengers assigned to the bigger dining room, the Marco Polo, may also book a table in the Pergola when space is available by paying a surcharge of about $17, or 19 euros. (The euro is the official currency on all Festival ships.)

The mini-suites are spacious and well organized, with a small entryway flanked by two closets, a bathroom with a long, deep tub and plenty of storage. Because dinner seatings on European ships are later, the first sitting is at 6:45 p.m. and the second is at 9:15. Fares on the European Vision’s round-trip weeklong sailings from Venice begin at $910 per person, double occupancy, in late October and November and increase to $1,220 in August, the high season. Bookings made 120 days ahead of departure get a 15% discount.

Because many Europeans vacation in August and usually take the family along on cruises, we recommend the spring or fall sailings for American couples who want a quiet trip. On the other hand, the summer cruises, when the ship is filled with Italian and French families, would be good for American families who want their children to learn a little bit of a foreign language while playing in the children’s program aboard. Kids ages 2 to 17 get a price break, paying $520 to $780 apiece for the third and fourth bunks in a cabin with two full-fare adults; the price depends on the sailing date.

The 720-passenger Azur sails from Venice from May 18 to Nov. 16 on a seven-day round-trip schedule calling in Korcula, Croatia; and Itea and the Corinth Canal, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Piraeus in Greece. Fares begin at $590 per person, double occupancy, for cruises booked at least 120 days in advance.

The 720-passenger Flamenco cruises Northern Europe from Kiel, Germany, this summer from June 8 to Sept. 7, offering two basic seven-day itineraries with fares priced from $670 per person, double occupancy, when bookings are made 120 days in advance. The fiords itinerary sails the west coast of Norway, while the Baltic itinerary visits Sweden, Estonia, Russia and Denmark.

The new European Stars is scheduled to sail every Friday from March 29 to Dec. 13 out of Barcelona, calling in Marseilles, France; Genoa, Naples and Palermo, Italy; Tunisia; and Mallorca, Spain. Fares start at $820 per person, double occupancy, plus $100 in port taxes per person.

A special 11-night Christmas cruise sails Dec. 23 from Genoa to Katakolon, Crete, Alexandria and Piraeus, Greece, then to Naples; Corsica and Marseilles, France, before returning to Genoa, with fares beginning at $1,510.

The Mistral changed its home base from Marseilles to Civitavecchia, Italy, the port of Rome, for its summer western Mediterranean sailings.

For more information, contact a travel agent or First European Cruises, (888) 983-8767 or (212) 779-7168, www.first-european.com.

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Harry Basch and Shirley Slater travel as guests of the cruise lines. Cruise Views appears twice a month.